Convertible continuous press for producing long or short alimentary paste products



Nov. 20, 1951 C; AMBRETTE 2,576,061

Y CONVERTIBLE CONTINUOUS PRESS FOR PRODUCTNC LONG OR SHORT ALTMENTARY PASTE PRODUCTS Filed Nov. 21, 194e 2 SHEETS- SHEET 1 Nm. Sm.

Nov. 20, 1951 C, AMBRETTE 2,576,061

CONVERTIBLE CONTINUOUS PRESS FOR PRODUCING LONG OR SHORT ALIMENTRY PASTE PRODUCTS Filed NOV. 21, 1946 2 SHEETS--SHEET 2 al Il Patented Nov. 20,A 1951 CONVERTIBLE CONTINUOUS PRESS FOR PRODUCING LONG OR SHORT ALIMEN- TARY PASTE PRODUCTS `Conrad Ambrette, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application November 21, 1946, Serial No. 711,344

4 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for producing alimentary paste products by a continuous method; and the invention has reference, more particularly, to novel .means for quickly and easily converting continuous press apparatus for optional production of either long or short paste products.

In my copending application for United States Letters Patent Ser. No. 662,699, filed April 17, 1946, now Patent No. 2,481,274, dated September 6, 1949, I have disclosed a novel construction of continuous press apparatus for producing alimentary paste products; said press having means adapted to produce both long and short paste products. The present invention has for `an object to provide novel means for quickly and easily arranging or changing over the apparatus, whereby to condition the same. at the option of the user, for the production of either long or short paste products, and, to this end, to provide means for shutting off flow of paste to a short paste extrusion head while permitting the paste to flow to the long paste extrusion head, and, vice versa, for shutting off flow of paste to the long paste extrusion head while permitting the paste to ilow to the short paste extrusion head.

The invention has for a further object to provide a discharge head leading from a dough or paste mixing means and. a discharging press screw, said discharge head having a main discharge passage adapted to be connected Iwith detachable means for distributing the dough or paste to a long paste extrusion head, and a branch discharge passage adapted te be connected with a short paste extrusion head; said short paste extrusion head being disposed to depend from said discharge head and including a removable die and cooperative paste cutting knife, means to actuate the knife, and a manipulatable jack screw which is operable to hold a removable shut-off plug in closed relation to the branch passage of the discharge head when the die and cooperative cutting knife is removed, whereby to put the short paste extrusion head out of service Iwhen dough or paste is to be delivered to the long paste extrusion head; an additional removable shut-01T plug being provided for closing the outlet of the main passage of the discharge head to put the long paste extrusion head out of service when the branch passage is opened for delivery `of paste to said short paste extrusion head.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be understood from the following detailed description of the same.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

2 parts with which this invention deals as arranged for production of short paste products; and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section, taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section, similar to that of Fig. 2, but showing the short paste extrusion head as arranged in out of service condition, while paste is discharged for delivery to a long paste producing means of the press.

Fig. 4 is a detail side elevational view of a closure plug for closing the outlet of the main passage of the discharge head against flow of paste to long paste producing means; and Fig. 5 is a detail side elevational View of a closure plug for closing the branch passage of the discharge head against ilow of paste to the short paste producing means.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above described views, to indicate correspending parts.

Referring to the drawings, the reference character I0 indicates a suitable dough or paste mixing means having a discharging press screw housing II in which is mounted a suitably driven rotated press screw l2. Disposed in connection with the outlet end of said press screw housing II is a suitably supported discharge head I3 which is provided, for extension through the interior thereof, with a main paste discharge passage I4, which leads from outlet end of said press screw housing I I. Paste is fed, under pressure, by said press screw I2 from the mixing means IU into said discharge passage I4 for discharge therethrough.

At its `lower side, said discharge head I3 is provided with a short paste extrusion head I5. the same being preferably formed as an integral part of said discharge head. Said short paste extrusion head is provided with a downwardly open paste receiving chamber I6 of conical shape, and said short paste extrusion head is further formed to provide a die seat I'I around the margin of the open bottom of said chamber I6. Said discharge head I3 is also provided with a branch paste discharge passage I8, which leads downwardly from its main discharge passage I4 into said chamber I6 of the short paste extrusion head I5.

Extending laterally from said discharge head 60 I3, respectively from its opposite sides and as integral parts thereof, are hanger arms or extensions I9, which extend beyond and so as to overhang the bottom part of said extrusion head I5. Slidably engaged through perpendicular ways 20, with which said hanger arms or extensions are provided, are suspension bars 2|. The upper end portions of said suspension bars 2|, which project from the top of said discharge head, are provided with external screw-threads 22,V and r Fig. 1 is a 4front elevational Vview of the press oo threaded thereon are hanger nut members 23v which bear against the top of said discharge head I3.y Supported by and between intermediate portions; of said :suspension bars 2l, by collars 24 ywith which said bars are provided,l isa die platen having a central opening 25 which is opposed to and aligned with the bottom opening of said extrusion head chamber I6.. Said dieplaten-fis;V

provided with an internal 'annular 'supporting flange or shoulder member 2l which is down-.lf

provided, is a bridge member or yoke 29 providedk with a central perpendicular boss 3l) having an internally screw-threaded laxial bore 3l. Said bore of the boss 35 is aligned with the axis of said die platen opening 26l and Vextrusion head chamber I6. Threaded through the bore 3| of said boss '36 is thescrew-threaded section 32 of a jack screwv which is provided Iwi-th a smooth body 33- disposed to extendv upwardly from said bridge member orv yoke -29 into theY opening 25 ofthe die platen 25. VVSaid jack screw is provided with a hand wheel 34 on its lower exterior endywhereby the same may be manipulated. Supported by a thrust bearing B, which is mounted in the-upper end of 'said boss 35, is a drive sleeve or hollow shaft member' 35' adapted to rotate about the body 33 of the jack screw Yfor transmission of operating power to a rotary short paste cutting means to be hereinafter described. Mounted on'theupper end of said sleeve or hollow shaft member 35'; to rotate therewith, is an axially yieldable section 36 adapted: to beY upwardly urged by a compression spring 3l which is interposedv between the same and said sleeve or Vhollow'shaft member.

Suitable powertransmission for driving said Ysleeve or hollow shaft member from a` power sourceris provided. An illustrative* form of such power transmission comprises a drive shaft 38, whichl e. g. may be suitably driven from the same power source which drives the operative mechanism (not shown) of the dough or paste mixing means and its press screw I2; Vsaid drive shaft 38 being provided with drive pulleys 39', which' are selectively usable according to the speed at which the sleeve or hollow shaft member 35 and cut-'- ting means actuated thereby is desired ,to be driven.. Supported by a bracket 4d, which is affixed to and which extends from the boss 3D of the bridge member or yoke 25, are bearings 4l', in

which is journaled a countershaft 42'. Y Said oountershaft 42 is provided with driven pulleys 43, which are selectively driven by a belt i4 Yfrom a selected pulley 35, according to speed' at which said sleeve or hollow shaft member 35 and cut`V scribed in my aforesaid pendinga'pplication for Vpatent Ser. No. 662,699 When in use,- thereceiv- Ying en'dof said feeder sections? isboltedtol'the discharge head I3 by bolts 481,whereby to' connect the same in communication with` the-outlet eri-dof Also supported Y'by and be-V `[charge passage i4 of said discharge head, andV lthen; secured tothe latter by the bolts 48, which are passed- Vthrough the flanged outer end portion" 50"of said plug (see Figs. 1 andnZ). Prefercharge head.

the main paste discharge passage I4 of said dis- When it is desiredgto utilizel the continuous press for therproductiniof'short paste products, Vsaid feeder section 4l is disconnected from thev discharge head I3, and a closure plug 49 is insertedingthe outlet end'of said main paste disably', -the inner end of said closure plug 49 is providedwith a deector lip formation 5I which is provided with a curved face extending between Vthe top side of said main Vpaste discharge passage'I4 to the outer or far side ofthe branch discharge'passage I8l of the dischargefh'ead (see Fig.2).

Preparatory to use ofthe short. pastev extrusion head I5 the'br'anch paste'Y discharge passage I8 of Ythe discharge head I3A is opened,-anda.short paste extrusion die plate 52 is mounted across the open bottom of the chamber lr6. of said extrusion head, so as to seat against the dieseatA Il with which the latter is provided. `Said die plate `52fis held in suchoperative relation to the extrusion head I5by the supporting flange or shoulder 21 of the die platen 25, by raising the latter into such supporting position. If desired, an auxiliary sup.-

'porting ring 53 Vmay bel interposed between said Vflange or shoulder 2 of the die platen.25 and the underside of the die plate 52.. ln thev meantime, a cutting knife 55 is affixed by its hub 55 to thefree Vend. of the yieldable section 3.6 of' the sleeve: or

hollow shaft member 35, whereby the. bladeor blades of said knife are caused to operatively slidably contact the under face ofthe die plate, soV

as tovmove across the apertures of the latter when the knife is rotated' by the drive of theoperated sleeve orrhollofw shaft member 35; Thejack screw .332-433 is preferably.` turned up to thrust Vagainst the. bottom of the die plate 52,. whereby to add the support ofsaid jack screw tothe latter, and so as to furnish-firm support for the rotatedsleeve or hollow-shaft 35' and its yieldable section 3&5 (see Fig. 2)1. The press is now ready to produce short pasteproducts, and, to suchend, the feed screw I2 will force -pasteVr from the mixing means I0 into and through the communicatingv portions of the main and branch paste discharge passages Illv and IB- of the d-ischargehead I3, whereby to-ll theextrusion head chamber |51 with paste under pressure, sothatsai-d paste will be extruded therefrom through the apertures of the die plate 52, and willfbe cut away from the die plate by the rotating knife54so as to be discharged` from the Vextrusion headV in desiredshort paste product form. l G

When it is Vdesired V.toutilize the continuous press jfor` the production of' long paste products,

Vtheclosure plug '43! is disconnected from the discharge head I3 andI removed, whereupon'- the feeder section 47- is connected with the latter in communication with' the outlet end ofthe main paste`Y discharge passage I41 thereof. This-hav- 'ing been done,v the short paste extrusion head I5 is put out of service and the branch passage I8 of the discharge'head I 3, which leads to the chamber TIES ofl said extrusion'head |151, is closed. To accomplish this, the hangerv 'nut members' V23 are turned up along the screw-threaded` ends A22 of the` suspension bars 21, thus allowing the latterto-slide downward -through'the ways-2 0 of the hanger arms or extensions I9 of the discharge pension bars 2| lowers both the die platen 25 and the bridge member or yoke 29, and parts supported by the latter, relative to the extrusion head I5, thus withdrawing the die plate 52 from its operative seated relation to the seat III of said extrusion head, so that said die plate may be removed from its operative assembled relation to the latter, together with the auxiliary supporting ring 53. In addition to such removal of the die plate 52, the knife d is also disconnected and removed from the yieldable section 36 of the sleeve or hollow shaft member 35. Upon removal of the die plate and knife, the jack screw 32-33 is turned down through the boss 30 so as to lower its upper free end suiiiciently to permit introduction of means adapted to close off the paste branch passage I3 which leads from the main paste discharge passage I4 of the discharge head IJ 3 iilito the interior of the extrusion head cham- The means for closing said branch passage I8 of the discharge head comprises an extrusion head closure plug formed by a conical body 56 which conforms to the conical shape of the upper interior of the extrusion head chamber I6. Projecting axially from the apex end of said conical body 56 of the closure plug is a plug section 51 which is shaped to fit into the interior of said branch passage I8 of the discharge head I3. Extending downwardly from said conical body 56 of the 4closure plug is an axial stem portion 58, which is provided in its free end with a receiving socket 59 adapted, at the proper time, to receive and seat the free extremity of the jack-screw 32-33 in holding relation to the closure plug.

To apply the extrusion head closure plug in operative assembled relation to said extrusion head, said closure plug is passed upwardly through the open bottom of the extrusion head chamber I6 until its conical body 56 is stopped against the upper end of said chamber, and its y plug section 5l entered in the branch passage I8 of the discharge head I3 so as to close said passage. When the closure plug is thus operatively positioned, the jack screw 32-33 is turned up through the boss 3U until the free extremity of the jack screw engages in the receiving socket 59 of the closure plug stem portion 58, whereupon the jack screw is turned strongly home to thrust the closure plug tightly home in the extrusion head I5, so as to be thereby unyieldingly held in closed relation to the branch passage I3 against paste pressure (see Fig. 3). When the extrusion head is thus put out of service condition, it will be obvious that paste emitted by the press screw I2 from the mixing means I0 will flow directly through the main paste discharge passage I4 of the discharge head I3, and thence through the feeder section 4l, and distributing means served thereby, to the long paste extrusion head of the press.

From the above it will be understood that the instant invention provides a novel short paste producing attachment for a continuous press of the general type and kind disclosed in my aforesaid copending application for Letters Patent Ser. No. 662,699, and which may be easily and quickly put into service or out of service condition, accordingly as it may be desired to utilize the press for production of short or long paste products.

I am aware that changes could be made in the above described constructions without departing from the scope of this invention as dened by the following claims. It is therefore intended that all matter described in the foregoing specication and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. An alimentary paste production apparatus comprising means to continuously issue a stream of paste under pressure into a discharge head, outlets from said head, removable plugs selectively applicable to said outlets whereby one of said outlets for feeding paste to a long paste producing means may be closed to direct said paste through a second one of said outlets, a removable short paste producing die mounted on the discharge head in communication with said second outlet, and manipulatable means dependent from the discharge head for removably 'holding said die or the closure plug for the second one of said outlets, as the case may be, in assembled relation.

2. An alimentary paste production apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said manipulatable holding means includes a vertically movable jack screw adapted to engage and support the die or said last mentioned closure plug as the case may be.

/ 3. An alimentary paste production apparatus comprising means to continuously issue a stream of pastel under pressure into a discharge head, outlets from said head, removable plugs selectively applicable to said outlets whereby one of said outlets for feeding paste to a long paste producing means may be closed to direct said paste through a second one of said outlets, a plurality of suspension bars dependent from the discharge head, a die platen supported by said suspension bars below said head, a bridge bar also supported by said suspension bars below and in spaced relation to the die platen, said bridge bar having an internally screw-threaded boss, a manipulata-bl-e jack screw threaded through said boss to extend upwardly through the die platen, means cooperable with the discharge head for raising and lowering the suspension bars and the die platen and bridge bar carried thereby, a removable short paste producing die adapted to be carried by the die platen in opposition to the discharge head for communication with the second outlet of the latter, said jack screw being adapted to engage and support the die or the closure plug for said second outlet of the head, as the case may be, a rotary short paste cutting means cooperative with the die, and power transmission means for said cutting means supported by the bridge bar so as to be movable therewith.

4. An alirnentary paste production apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said power transmission means includes a hollow shaft rotatable about the upper portion of the jack screw, said shaft terminating in an axially yieldable section by which the cutting means is carried and pressed into operative contact with the die.

CONRAD AMBRET'IE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in `the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date '752,241 Master Feb. 16, 1904 1,172,400 Specht et al Feb. 22, 1916 1,205,710 Cavagnaro Nov. 2l, 1916 1,426,244 Barducci Aug. 15, 1922 1,732,463 Fegles Oct.. 22, 1929 2,257,695 Lihotzky Sept. 30, 1941 

